Gold mine proposed 15 miles South of Butte

SILVER BOW COUTNY

We dug through documents on Timberline Resources' website to gather more information about a possible gold mine that will be placed 15 miles South of Butte.

The Butte Highlands Project would go through an expected mining rate of ore of 400-tons per day for the first four years.

The company says the rock would be shipped directly to a local mill, and the results from the test drilling indicated ore of approximately one quarter ounce of gold per ton.

But some folks are worried about the effect the mine could have on the environment.

Water discharged from one of the three drainage's the operation would use will eventually make it into the Big Hole River Watershed.

But that water however will be treated through a reverse osmosis water treatment plant.

NBC Montana reached out to the Big Hole Water Shed Committee to see just how the operations would be regulated.

"Their company is being permitted and following all of the regulations that there required to follow by state law and these are high paying jobs,” said Jim Hagenbarth, member of the Big Hole Watershed Committee.

“We want a working landscape so the impact of their mining operation looked to be minimal at this point in time," concluded Hagenbarth.

If the permits are approved operations are scheduled to begin by the end of this year.

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